StraighterLine Online College Course Provider Adds Five New Science Courses

StraighterLine has has added five new science courses and four new science professors to its science department, bringing the online college course provider's total number of available science courses to 15.

The new courses are:

General Physics II, with and without a lab option;

Microbiology, with and without a lab option;

Introduction to Environmental Science;

First Aid/CPR; and

Personal Fitness and Wellness.

With the addition of these courses, StraighterLine now offers enough science courses to satisfy freshman and sophomore core science requirements at most universities, according to the company.

The company added the new courses in response to increased demand for college graduates with degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), nursing, and healthcare fields. According to the company, microbiology was its most requested new course.

"Our students are very outspoken when it comes to pursuing their degrees," said Josef Katz, VP of marketing, in a prepared statement. "When they tell us they want something, like more courses to help them land lucrative STEM jobs, or healthcare, or even criminal justice, we listen, and we give them what they want."

StraighterLine offers entry-level college courses online in the sciences, humanities, English, math, and business. Courses are available in both self-paced and professor-led formats, and students can complete them individually on a self-paced schedule or as part of a group. Students can earn credit based on test scores for some courses through partnerships with accredited online colleges and universities.

StraighterLine operates a subscription-based business model. Students subscribe on a monthly, semester, or annual basis. Once subscribed to the service, students can register for courses by paying an enrollment fee for each course. The company claims students can save up to 90 percent on their first year of college by earning their course credits through StraighterLine.